Constitution and Bylaws (Approved May 10th, 2017)

Mission StatementAdvocacy and Caring for Children (ACC), a volunteer organization, provides care, funding and advocacy for Western Washington children and families in need, regardless of race or creed. (2017)

Purpose1. Fund-raisinga. Revenue sources include special events, dues, sales of items such as calendars orcookbooks, solicitation or campaigns, bequests, donations and memorial/specialintention cards.b. Funds go directly to the programs we support through a grant review process.c. Endowment Fund provides long-term funding to support our mission.

2. Advocacy efforts on behalf of children and families in need.

3. Volunteer service.History

On December 12, 1918, with the blessings of Bishop Edward O’Dea, a group of Seattle’s Catholic women met for the first time to organize a program of social welfare on behalf of children and families in need. The Seattle Council of Catholic Women was founded by:

Initially, these women cared for a few of the children themselves and were involved in their placement in adoptive homes and foster care. As the workload increased, they employed professional social workers to place and monitor the children, while they focused their efforts on raising money. Members gathered in small neighborhood groups to facilitate special projects, fund-raising, and to sew layettes for the infants. In the early 1930’s the first “Circles” were formed.

1936 - Bishop Gerald Shaughnessy began the move toward a more structured professional social service based program. Today known as Catholic Community Services (CCS) it is the largest private social service agency in Western Washington. CWCWL became less involved on the professional side but continued as a volunteer organization in support of CCS.

1940 - CWCWL changed its name to Association for Catholic Childhood (ACC). That same year, ACC expanded its scope to include the entire Archdiocese of Seattle, encompassing all of Western Washington.

1948 - ACC adopted as its logo the symbol of the Christ Child as the “Light of the World.”

1980 - CCS expanded their programs to cover a broader array of social services. The members of ACC voted to continue their focus on children and families.

1997 - ACC established a membership committee to recruit new members to ensure the continuation of ACC and its mission into the future. Six new Circles were formed and an additional 100 women became part of ACC and its work. Currently, there are 18 active Circles, with over 500 members.

2002 - ACC Endowment Fund was established to ensure that our mission of providing for children and families will live on in perpetuity.

2008 - The tag line For the Children…Caring and Advocacy since 1918 was adopted.

2017 - The name change Advocacy and Caring for Children was approved by membership vote September 2016.

Advocacy and Caring for Children…a Catholic association since 1918 (ACC), is organized in Circles that govern with their own bylaws, and do their own fund-raising. Each Circle is encouraged to have representation on the Board. The Board represents all Circles, and activities that encompass participation by all Circles are referred to as all-association activities. In all instances, Advocacy and Caring for Children bylaws supersede individual Circle bylaws.

B. Board

The administration of the general policies, business and property of ACC is vested in a Board of Directors. Members of the Board serve a three-year term. The Board is headed by a president, first vice-president, second vice-president, secretary and treasurer. Other members of the Board act as chairs of various committees and/or liaisons between family/children’s agencies and the Board.

Membership

Membership in ACC is open to all interested persons. There are two categories of membership:

Circle Membership

Active1. Obligations to ACC are:(a) Annual dues as determined by the Board.(b) Fundraising/monetary support in addition to dues.(c) Time and support to all-association projects. (b) Inactive1. An Inactive Circle member wishes to remain associated with a Circle.

2. Obligations to ACC are:(a) Annual dues as determined by the Board.(b) Support Circle and all-association functions

Member At Large Membership(a) A member at large is not associated with a Circle.

Section 1. The name of this organization shall be Advocacy and Caring for Children (ACC).

Article IIObject

Section 1. Advocacy and Caring for Children…a Catholic association since 1918, is composed of volunteers who provide care, funding and advocacy for Western Washington children and families in need, regardless of race or creed.

Article IIIMembership

Section 1. Membership in ACC is open to all interested persons.

Article IVBoard of Directors

Section 1. The administration of the general policies, business and property of ACC shall be vested in a Board of Directors to be elected by the membership of ACC, as provided in the bylaws.

Section 2. The past-president shall be an ex-officio member of the Board, if the expiration of her term of membership on the Board coincides with the expiration of her presidency.

Section 3. The term of office for members of the Board shall be three years.

Section 4. No one may serve more than two terms consecutively on the Board of Directors except with the unanimous vote of the Board.

Section 5. Upon the occurrence of interim vacancies, the unexpired terms shall be filled by appointment by the president.

Section 6. An effort shall be made to have Board representation from every ACC Circle.

Article VExecutive Committee

Section 1. The officers of the Board shall be a President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer: henceforth known as the Officers.

Section 2. The officers of the Board shall also be officers of ACC.

Section 3. The term of office shall be two years, as part of a three year Board term. No person shall hold any particular office for more than two terms consecutively except with the unanimous vote of the Board.

Section 4. At the Annual Meeting (May Luncheon), the current Board and attending ACC members shall elect the officers of the Board for the ensuing year.

Section 5. Upon the occurrence of a vacancy within the term of an officer, the unexpired term will be filled by appointment of the president from the remaining members of the Board. If the office of president is vacated, the first vice-president automatically replaces the president.

Article VIMeetings

Section 1. ACC shall meet on dates set in the bylaws.

Section 2. The Board of Directors shall meet regularly as set in the bylaws.

Section 3. Special meetings of the general ACC membership may be convoked by the president upon petition of 25 ACC members.

Section 4. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the president as needed, or on petition of six members of the Board.

Article VIICommittees

Section 1. The standing committees of ACC, with the exception of the Executive Committee, shall be appointed by the president upon authorization by the Board. The president is ex-officio member of all except the Nominating Committee.

Article VIII

The articles of the Constitution may be amended, with the approval of the Board, by a majority vote of ACC members. Written notice of the proposed change is given to all members of ACC in good standing prior to the vote. An absentee ballot will be accepted from any ACC members unable to attend.

Bylaws for Advocacy and Caring for ChildrenArticle IMembership and Dues

Section 1.Membership in ACC is open to all interested persons. There are two categories of membership:

Circle Membership

(a) Active1. Obligations to ACC are:(a) Annual dues as determined by the Board.(b) Fundraising/monetary support in addition to dues.(c) Time and support to all-association projects. (b) Inactive1. An Inactive Circle member wishes to remain associated with a Circle.2. Obligations to ACC are:(a) Annual dues as determined by the Board.(b) Support Circle and all-association functions

Member At Large Membership(a) A member at large is not associated with a Circle.

Section 1. Each Circle shall conduct a minimum of one fundraiser per year as its financial project, independent of dues described in Article I above and all-association activity as described under Organization heading. Circle monies shall be turned in to ACC office as projects are completed. ACC office will report receipt of funds to the Treasurer. Circles may not donate directly to any program or individual. Circles are permitted to keep an appropriate amount of cash (seed money), for administrative expenses and upcoming project expenses. Under no circumstances shall Circles hold monies for the purpose of investment.

Article IIIElections

Section 1. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of nominees to fill Executive Committee vacancies and Board of Director vacancies prior to the annual (May) elections if possible. The officers review the slate of nominees and the president presents the nominees at the annual meeting (May luncheon) for vote by all attending ACC members.

Section 2. Any qualified member shall be allowed further nominations from the floor of the meeting before the vote.

Section 3. Only members in good standing, that is, whose dues are currently paid, may vote.

Section 4. Election of the executive committee of ACC shall be made by the Board at the June Board meeting if not elected at annual meeting (May luncheon). Additional nominations from the floor may be accepted.

Section 5. Officers and Board Members shall assume their official duties after the June Board meeting.

Section 6. The duties and responsibilities of the ACC Board, its officers and committees will be available to ACC members. Duties and responsibilities will be updated annually by the Board and presented to its secretary prior to the June or September Board meeting for distribution to the respective committees.

Article IVQuorums

Section 1.

Two Executive Committee officers, and 15 ACC members shall constitute a quorum for a general meeting of ACC.

Two Executive Committee officers and a majority of Board members shall constitute a quorum for a duly called meeting of the ACC Board.

Section 2. A quorum may be physically present or available electronically in order to conduct business. Phone calls to absent members are permissible.

Article VMeetings

Section 1. ACC shall hold its general membership meetings during the months of September and May each year.

Section 2. The Board of Directors shall meet regularly during the fiscal year, September through June.

Section 3.The day of ACC’s general membership meeting and the day of its regular Board meeting may be changed at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

Article VIAmendment

Amendment of these bylaws may be affected by a two-thirds majority of any duly called meeting of the Board or by a plurality of any duly called meeting of ACC.

Article VII

Section 1. The membership will follow an agreed upon form of parliamentary procedures which can be re-evaluated annually by the Board of Directors. These procedures will be kept in the ACC Office.